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Public-Private Economic Development

 
 

Introduction

These resources explore the history of public and private coordination for the sake of economic development. One of the primary theories of economic development noted below relates to geographical and geopolitical factors: land quality, navigable waterways for trade, warfare technology, energy access, agriculture, medicine, scientific research, and education especially shape the development and internal politics of a people. We put special effort into critiquing the libertarian notion that government activity is morally evil because “taxation is theft,” and usually produces bad results — a claim that has many counterexamples and is falsifiable as a libertarian fantasy.

 

Messages and Resources

Mako Nagasawa, John Locke’s Theology of Private Property, edited by Grace Tien and Maria Eugenia Funes, Religion and Racial Capitalism. Palgrave MacMillan, 2025.

American libertarians and private property absolutists appeal to John Locke, remembered as an English political philosopher. Locke originally positioned himself, however, as a biblical scholar and theologian. As such, Locke departed from Christian tradition. I argue the relationship between Locke’s political philosophy and the Bible is that of a parasite and its host. Christian leaders prior to Locke believed that the earth is the Lord’s, the fruit of the earth belongs to all, and the political community could modify property in various ways because it was ethically and chronologically prior to private property. Locke, however, argued that individuals first create private property by enclosing land and laboring on it, then bring their private properties into political society, which was meant by God to defend individual property rights. He thereby defended both the English Revolution of 1688 and also English colonialism in the Americas.

See also slides to this presentation. Given to the 2022 Reconstruction class. The introduction features John Winthrop vs. Roger Williams to highlight the debate over freedom of religious Conscience vs. Christendom. The presentation highlights Christian accomplishments in health and hospitals, education and schools, land ownership and economic justice, and criminal justice reform.

See also the slides to this presentation. Given October 2, 2021 to the Reconstruction class. Explores early Christian emancipation and abolition. While Christians did not eliminate all forms of servitude, since servitude for civic penalties, indebtedness, war captivity, and self-indenture persisted, Christians eventually did eliminate what we know as chattel slavery. The presentation examines the Old Testament institution of the Hebrew ebed servant, and the New Testament approach to Greco-Roman modes of servitude. We glance at how colonialism and Trans-Atlantic slavery deformed traditional Christian teaching, mindful that more slavery exists today across the globe than every before, and that in the U.S., indebtedness and incarceration show that we have greatly exaggerated the claims that the U.S. has done better than the Bible on “slavery” and its constellation of challenges.

Wayne Grudem's Misuse of Scripture in Politics According to the Bible

This is a blog post critiquing Grudem’s chapter about economics. Grudem argues for a minimal state with no public lands or public functions, because he believes that all land and property — and economic production, apparently — must be private. He misunderstands very important biblical passages like Leviticus 25. See also this humorous take by Kanosea, The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus. Imgur, Apr 9, 2014.

Christian Restorative Justice: Human Dignity, Work, and Wealth

These are slides to a presentation on the biblical vision of jubilee economy is compared to the intergenerational inequality perpetuation of modern American capitalism.

Christian Restorative Justice: Beyond Charity - God's Restorative Justice for Children and Families

These are slides to a presentation given to Boston Chinese Evangelical Church, on biblical basis for supporting children regardless of what their parents did or endured. Provides many examples from church history of Christians providing education, public goods, etc. broadly.

Debate on Facebook with LF About Vaccines and Anti-Trust

A debate on May 13, 2021 about COVID-19 vaccine development. Mako advocated for using anti-trust policy to limit the power of major vaccine supply-chain corporations, in order to bring down costs and increase capacity. LF argued against based on the notion that government interference usually produces bad results.

 
 
 

Christian Restorative Justice, Business, and Economics: Topics:

Christian Restorative Justice Critique of the Right: Domestic Policy Topics:

Christian Restorative Justice Critique of the Right: Philosophical Influences: